Abstract
It presents a new generation of the CO 2 EOR method—namely, storage-driven CO 2 EOR—whose purpose is to realize net-zero or even negative CO 2 emissions by sequestrating CO 2 in oil reservoirs while maximizing oil recovery. Within the framework of such a method, CO 2 enhanced oil recovery is harmonious and synergistic, but sometime contradictory, with carbon geological storage in oil reservoir geological body. New advanced technologies are necessary to be developed to weaken the antagonism but improve the synergy, of which the relationship is very like the “Tai Chi”. Storage-driven CO 2 EOR method provides a feasible way to a paradigm shift in hydrocarbon recovery from massive-emission process to a net-zero-emission one, which significantly reduces CO 2 emission but increases the economic benefit of CO 2 EOR. Stabilizing global climate change to within 1.5 °C requires a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, with a primary focus on carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions. CO 2 flooding in oilfields has recently been recognized as an important way to reduce CO 2 emissions by storing CO 2 in oil reservoirs. This work proposes an advanced CO 2 enhanced oil recovery (EOR) method—namely, storage-driven CO 2 EOR—whose main target is to realize net-zero or even negative CO 2 emissions by sequestrating the maximum possible amount of CO 2 in oil reservoirs while accomplishing the maximum possible oil recovery. Here, dimethyl ether (DME) is employed as an efficient agent in assisting conventional CO 2 EOR for oil recovery while enhancing CO 2 sequestration in reservoirs. The results show that DME improves the solubility of CO 2 in in situ oil, which is beneficial for the solubility trapping of CO 2 storage; furthermore, the presence of DME inhibits the “escape” of lighter hydrocarbons from crude oil due to the CO 2 extraction effect, which is critical for sustainable oil recovery. Storage-driven CO 2 EOR is superior to conventional CO 2 EOR in improving sweeping efficiency, especially during the late oil production period. This work demonstrates that storage-driven CO 2 EOR exhibits higher oil-in-place (OIP) recovery than conventional CO 2 EOR. Moreover, the amount of sequestrated CO 2 in storage-driven CO 2 EOR exceeds the amount of emissions from burning the produced oil; that is, the sequestrated CO 2 offsets not only current emissions but also past CO 2 emissions. By altering developing scenarios, such as water alternating storage-driven CO 2 EOR, more CO 2 sequestration and higher oil recovery can be achieved. This work demonstrates the potential utilization of DME as an efficient additive to CO 2 for enhancing oil recovery while improving CO 2 storage in oil reservoirs.
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